Christine A. Loughlin

Ms. Loughlin is a defined contribution (DC) plan specialist with extensive experience advising plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and committees on investment strategy, fiduciary governance, and plan oversight. A former partner and head of NEPC’s DC consulting practice, she advised large institutional plans and oversaw more than $200 billion in assets for more than 120 clients. She directed NEPC’s responses to new and proposed regulations and its guidance on product offerings, services, and pricing. This work gave her a direct understanding of how DC operational and advisory practices evolved.

Ms. Loughlin was central to developing and delivering NEPC’s annual Defined Contribution Plan & Fee Survey, which analyzes DC plan pricing models, fees, investment structures, and industry trends and has been used by fiduciary committees to inform their oversight of plan fees and service provider relationships. She gained firsthand knowledge of the Survey’s methodology, underlying data, and market context for applying its findings to individual plans. She participated in hundreds of fiduciary committee meetings evaluating these relationships and pricing models, including recordkeeping and investment management fees, share classes, collective investment trusts, separate accounts, and advisory arrangements.

Ms. Loughlin has helped fiduciaries select, monitor, and replace DC investments, including active and passive strategies, qualified default investment alternatives, stable value and money market options, managed accounts, and white-label fund structures. She typically served as an ERISA Section 3(21) fiduciary investment advisor, with experience as an ERISA Section 3(38) investment manager. These roles provided her with a practical understanding of their respective responsibilities.

She has authored thought leadership on DC trends and investment solutions and spoken at events hosted by Pensions & Investments and Institutional Investor. Ms. Loughlin holds the CFA and CAIA designations and previously held investment consulting roles at Watson Wyatt Worldwide.